Month: March 2019

The word “great” has to be one of the most over-used words in classical music. From ‘greatest symphony’ lists to ‘greatest recordings’ lists (which nearly always heavily or exclusively feature white male composers), “greatness” seems to be the measure of what makes music worth listening to. But what makes music “great”? Let’s begin with the... Continue Reading →

Luonnotar is one of my favourite ever pieces. From the hypnotic and powerful soprano part to the elusive and ethereal ending, it’s one of the most astonishing works that Sibelius ever wrote. But it very rarely makes it onto concert programmes, and when it premiered in 1913, critics were completely nonplussed. The reviews were a... Continue Reading →

I have exciting news which iiiiiiis... I've started a podcast! It's called Notes on Notes, and it's about classical music. If you'd like to listen along it has a shiny website (noteonnotespodcast.com), and episodes are released every month. The first year is dedicated to women in music. There are two kinds of episodes - in... Continue Reading →